FAYETTE TRACK: Fayette produced one district champion at the Div. III meet Saturday in Ayersville, and one other Eagle will advance to the regional meet this week in Tiffin.

Darrell Randall warmed up with an eighth-place 1600-meter run (4:52), then came back later in the hot afternoon for the district title in the 3200-meter run with a winning time of 10:17—his career best.

The sophomore finished two seconds ahead of league rival Kenny Graber of Stryker and six seconds ahead of Austin Borton of Pettisville. Borton won the 1600 at 4:31.

Erica Goeltzenleuchter will make her third consecutive trip to regional competition to run in the 3200-meter race.

The junior took off to a fast start Saturday before settling in for a second-place finish at 12:44.9. Liberty Center’s Chelsea Knapp took an easy first place at 12:20. Goeltzenleuchter stayed ahead of Pettisville rival Tanner Hostetler and beat her by four seconds.

“She's running hurt right now, but gutting it out, showing her toughness,” said coach Ryan Colegrove.

Junior Elisha Hartman turned in the top 800-meter run of her career, coming close to qualifying with a sixth-place finish at 2:29.8. Stryker exchange student Naemi Smolka won the race at 2:25.

The 3200-meter relay team (Goeltzenleuchter, Alexa Kessler, Hannah Schrock and Hartman) earned an eighth place finish at 11:17.

Other Eagle girls competing were Kessler in the 800; Schrock and Sarah Kovar in the 1600; Olivia Molina in the 3200; Abby Jaramillo in the shot put and discus; Jessie Torres in the shot put; and Amanda Gilmore in the discus.

Shelby Franks, also a senior, took seventh in the 300-meter hurdles at :44.04. He came through with his best at :43.06 in the preliminary race. Hylander turned in a :44.8 in the race.

Franks placed sixth in the long jump at 18-6.75. Tinora’s Brad Wagner was first at 20-10.

Eliott Richardson wrapped up his throwing career with a sixth-place finish in the shot put (43-05.25), behind winner Anthony King of Ayersville at 50-06. Richardson placed seventh in the discus with a toss of 126-07. King won at 158-10.

Other competitors were Hunter Colegrove and Logan Keefer in the 400; Jerry Minzey in the 100; Taylor Curry in the 200; Nathan Seiler in the 100; Skylar Sommers in the 3200; and Jonathan Boesger in the shot and discus.

Colin Walker was one of six individuals who qualified to advance, in addition to the six qualifying teams.

The junior shot a 91 at Devils Lake Golf Course to qualify, carding 43 on the front and 48 on the back.

Twelve teams competed in the district tournament including seven from Lenawee County.

Three teams will advance from the regional tournament at Bald Mountain Golf Course, along with the top three individuals not on a qualifying team. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian is the host school.

MORENCI SOFTBALL: It took nine innings for Whiteford to get the job done, but that’s when it finally happened.

The Bobcats ended a TCC showdown with a base hit in the ninth to stop Morenci short, 4-3.

Whiteford had a runner on base after a Bulldog error, but the visitors weren’t the only squad to take advantage of miscues.

After Chanler McCaskey singled in the bottom of the first, Jade Pfund reached base on an error that allowed McCaskey to come home.

Nicolette Swimmer reached base on a dropped third strike to put runners at first and third. Tess Ramsey poked a single past third base to score Pfund.

In the third, Swimmer was safe on an error, advanced on Ramsey’s base hit, and scored on a wild pitch to the Bulldogs on top 3-1.

The lead held until the top of the seventh when Whiteford scored a run on a passed ball and another on a throwing error.

Morenci left a runner stranded in each of the final three innings.

Whiteford claimed a non-league 10-0 win in the nightcap, with Barbara Hollstein and Matea Garcia sharing pitching duties. Each team finished with three hits.

CLINTON—Morenci and Clinton each came through with only three hits May 19, but the Redskins claimed the 3-0 TCC victory.

Pfund struck out 11 batters and 15 Morenci batters when down on strikes.

A pair of Morenci errors gave Clinton a boost early in the nightcap and the Redskins went on to win 7-1.

The Bulldogs scored one run in the fifth on base hits by Ramsey and Chelsea Tompkins and a ground out by Mariah Bovee.

MORENCI TRACK: Morenci’s four qualifiers for Saturday’s Div. IV state track and field meet will find the competition plenty tough when Michigan’s top small-school athletes compete.

One of them, however, could finish on top.

Sophomore Phoenix Duncan returns to the state meet to compete in the high jump where she’s tied with Sarah MacCourtney of Lutheran Northwest at 5-5.

MacCourtney was last year’s state champ at 5-5, although she cleared 5-6 at last year’s regional meet.

Duncan, on the other hand, is on her way up. Her 5-5 leap at the regional meet was her best ever. She jumped 5-0 a year ago at the state competition.

Eleven of the 21 Div. IV qualifiers cleared 5-0 at regional meets.

Duncan’s 16-5.25 in the long jump places her as the fourth best in a tightly contested line-up. An Athens jumper stands out in front at 17-3.

Morenci senior Lucas Johnson is rated fourth-best in the discus, based on regional finishes. He came through with his longest toss ever at 144-5. He’ll see some familiar faces, with the top two rated throwers coming from the regional in which he competed.

Last year Johnson was off from his best with a toss of 132-0.

At last week’s regional, Concord’s Kyle Stacks was the favorite to win the 1600-meter run, and he came through as expected at 4:25. Now he’s number three in the pack with a Harbor Springs runner seven seconds better.

Morenci senior Zach Phillips turned in the ninth best time among the various regional finishes at 4:35, but if he matches his career best, he should move up a few places.

Junior Chas Frey exceeded last year’s eighth place state finish in the 200-meter dash (:23.88) with a :23.1 at regionals, placing him as seventh best. The top five of the 24 qualifiers have run under 23 seconds.

Frey also qualified in the 100-meter dash and he has a seventh-best standing there, also, at :11.19. Three of the top runners have covered the course in less than 11 seconds.